


(Just Like) Starting Over

by that70squeenie



Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: F/M, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Tagging, i never used ao3 before, pls take it easy on me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26327056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that70squeenie/pseuds/that70squeenie
Summary: Coming home from a late night at work, Rita Redfield finds a sleeping John Lennon on a park bench in Central Park. It wouldn't be a big deal if it wasn't thirty-seven years after his tragic death.
Relationships: John Lennon/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	1. Anniversaries and Bullet Holes

December 8th, 2017

10:50 pm

Rita Redfield held the bouquet of roses in her hands while walking towards the crowd in the park. Hearing a familiar song being sung from the crowd, she sighed in disappointment. 

Tears fill her eyes and cursed to herself. Wishing her parents were with her although she felt childish for wanting them since she is a grown woman.

The woman walked until she reached the crowd; she realized that they were singing Imagine and smiled.

Excusing herself through the crowd and stopped once she got to the mosaic; she put gently the bouquet of flowers on it. 

Rita went through the crowd again to an empty area where the benches were, grabbed her smartphone from her pocket to look at her reflection; she saw that her mascara was smudged on her soft light brown skin. She chuckled softly to herself, how could she get over emotional about a man that she never met.

Rita was only five when he died. Recalling being woken up by her parents that night; her father sobbing while telling the terrible news. That being the first time she had seen her father cry. Young Rita didn't know what to think, she had become obsessed with John after hearing his new single. Replaying it so many times that her mother had to buy her a new one by the next week.

The older woman smirked at the fond memories; singing from the crowd became louder causing her glance at her watch. It was ten fifty-five.

"Gotta get home." She thought and while she was about to get up, she felt a thud on the bench. She looked to see a body. Confused seeing that she was the only one on the bench, she felt the urge to check on the person.

Rita stood up from the bench and squinted at the body; regretting not wearing her glasses. It was a white man (most likely sleeping), who is dressed too nicely to be a homeless person.

She walked over to the body and gasped in shock. The man looked like John Lennon. Calming herself down seeing that he was more prone to be an impersonator.

Rita had a suspicion that he wasn't a mimic. She shook the man, aiming to wake him up but it looked like he was in a deep sleep.

"Damn, he's out like a light." She murmured to herself.

She checked his pockets, feeling nothing she turned the man on his stomach and looked at his back in terror.

There were four gashes in his back, he looks like he was shot at. Rita immediately frowned think the man must have taken his impersonation too far. Nevertheless, she put her fingers on one of the wounds and felt a sticky substance.

Terrified, the older woman took her phone from her pocket and turned on the flashlight, flashing the light on her fingers. Her fingers were painted with blood which seemed to be evaporating by the second. She moved the light towards the man's back and saw his body healing on his own, relatively rapidly. Eyes wide and mouth gaping, they felt numb with shock. She nearly screamed at the sight.

"These things only happen in the movies, this can't be real." Turning the body on its back again. Rita stared at his face. She knew was him.

Rita slipped her phone in her pocket and wiped her sweaty palms on her pants.

Dragging her hand (the one that didn't have blood vanishing off of it) through her hair and paced back and forth. "What in the world, am I going to do?" She reckoned, "I have to do it. It's him."

She glanced at the crowd, no one paying her any attention. Sitting John up on the bench, she took his glasses off and propelled him over her shoulder. Putting the glasses in her pocket and looked over the unrestricted shoulder to see if anyone was watching her; realizing that no one was, she held on to John tightly and fled to her car.

The adrenaline pumping through her veins as she ran out of the park, strangely there were no cars or people on the street of New York. Something that she hadn't witnessed in her entire life.

Once she got to her car, Rita quickly opened the back seat of her car, softly put John in on the seats; she ran to the drivers' side, throwing the door open and jumping in. 

Putting on her seatbelt, she glanced at John through her rearview mirror. 

"What the hell did I get myself in to?" She groaned.

*

Rita makes it to her apartment with John over her shoulder without running into anyone, which also hadn't happened to her before. Locking the door, she removes off her shoes and strides toward the bedroom. 

"Mom?" Rita freezes. It was her daughter Jackie. Slowly turns around, "Yes, love?" 

Jackie tilted her head causing her jet black hair fall out of her lazily made bun onto her shoulders. Wearing a pair of dark pajamas that were getting small for her quickly growing body, the end of pajama pants were barley touching her (somewhat ashy) ankles. She gave her mother a curious look.

"Why do you have a man over your shoulder?" Jackie crinkled her nose in realization, "Wait, I don't want to know. I'll go to my room-." Awkwardly pointing her index finger towards her room.

"No, I'm not doing anything with him. Please come and follow me." She profusely whispered at her. Her daughter gave her a confused look but followed her anyway.

Once they arrived in the room, the older woman laid John down on the bed taking off his shoes during the process. Eyes widening in realization, "Why is there a John Lennon clone in our house?" She took his glasses out of her pocket and put them on his face.

"It is John Lennon." Jackie gave her mother a narrowed eye look.

"Ma, are you high?" Rita shook her head profusely, "No, it's him." She recalled the events that led up to now.

Her daughter reached her hand to feel her mother's head. "Are you sick? Hallucinating?" The fourteen-year-old walked around in circles, "I think you kidnapped a homeless man. What if the cops come? Ma, you just can't steal a man from a bench. What the h-!" Stopping once she saw John's body twitch.

Giving her daughter a soft look, "Jackie, I promise you it's him." Noticing the tense look on her face and followed her daughter's glance. The man was waking up. 

"Oh my god," Rita whispered profusely, "What do we do?" Jackie turned red, "What do we do? You're the adult! You're supposed to tell me what to do!" Rita scowled. "Watch your tone with me young girl!" "Watch my tone? You brought a random guy from off the street into our home!" The younger one yelled. "He's John Lennon!" The older woman exclaimed. "How do you know? He's an impersonator!" The two women continued to argue. 

Little did they realize, John had arisen from his deep sleep and was watching the scene play out. John waking up, confused, and frustrated waking up to their argument; he was in a room that he wasn't familiar with, people that he didn't know, and the fact that he had a splitting headache. He realized that he had enough and decide to make his presence known. 

"Excuse me, can you tell me where I am and also why I'm here? And do you have any medicine for headaches because I have a terrible one?" The two women stopped arguing and stared at John.

Jackie froze and stared with wide eyes and raised eyebrows, "Jesus Christ, you are John Lennon."


	2. Live and Let...Live?

"Uh, yes!" She yelled, "My daughter will get it for you." Rita looked at her daughter. Jackie, still in shock, leaves the room in a hurry.

"Hi, Mr. Lennon. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just have a headache, but why exactly I'm I here?" He paused, "Also, where is Yoko?"

She didn't know what to say or where to start. "Um, do you remember anything from the last time you were awake?"

John tried to think, "The last thing I remember is being in the studio..." He trailed off when he saw Jackie come back into the room with water and medicine; he moved to the edge of the bed. He grabbed the items and thanked her. Jackie gave a nervous smile. "Are you okay, love?" She nodded and gave a shy smile and hurried off to the corner of the room.

John went and popped the pills in his mouth and washed them down with water. Rita watched him nervously.

He put the items on the side table of the bed and cleared his throat. "Sorry, I was saying, that I remember leaving the studio with Yoko and we were about to leave, we asked Jack if-. He paused, "Jack Douglas; if he wanted us to drop him off, he said no, and we left."

"Is that all you remember?"

"My brain is a bit murky at the moment," He tried to recollect his thoughts. "Wait, I remember walking to the Dakota and-. His eyes widen in terror, " Oh God, I was shot." He felt his chest in worry. "I was in an ambulance and then everything went dark..." John trailed off, "I think I died."

He shuddered, "Did I?" She gives him a sorrowful glance. "Yes." She looks towards the ground.

His eyes filled with tears. "No, I can't," He quickly got up from the bed. "No, I was doing better. I can't be dead. I have Sean and Jules and Yoko. I can't. I can't." He broke down and dropped his knees to the floor. The older woman kneeled and rubbed her hand on his back. She glanced at her daughter, "Go to your room." She mouthed. Her daughter nodded and left quietly.

Rita continued to rub his back while he cried.

John lifted his head from his hands and looked at Rita, "Where I'm I? Is this supposed to be the afterlife?" He cried.

"I'm not sure." She confessed. John gives her a look of confusion. "You were dead, you've been dead for thirty-seven years now, but now you're alive."

"I've been dead for thirty-seven years now?" He moaned, "Oh, God what year is it?"

"It's 2017, John."

He stared at her in shock. So many thoughts were running through his head.

"How are my children? Yoko? Paul? Ringo? George?" John notices the look on her face when he mentions George.

"Um, they're good..."

"Please be honest with me..." He looked at her expectedly. "Rita." She said. "Be honest with me, Rita."

"No, I'm being honest but," She sighed. "George... George is gone. He died from cancer in 2001."

John took in the information. George was dead. His George was dead. He blinks back his tears.

The man looked away from Rita and cleared his throat, "Who else is dead?" "John, I don't think you're are ready to hear-"

"Tell me." He barked, staring at her with anger. The air was thick with tension.

"What I'm I supposed to tell you, John? A lot of people have died, relating to you or not." John opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted, "Plus, I don't think you ready to hear about this kind of stuff. Didn't you just come back from the dead?" She gave him a sad look.

John stared at her. Both kept quiet, staring at one another in silence. Rita sighed. "I'm aware that this is hard for you. I can't imagine how I would react if this happened to me, I don't even know how to react to seeing it happened to you." She chuckled lightly.

John didn't react to her and stayed quiet; she knew he was going through a lot, so she decided to give him space.

She stood up from the floor, "John, it's getting late. So, I recommend you sleep because we have a lot of things to talk about in the morning." John stares at the floor, remaining silent.

She frowns, picks herself up from the floor, and watches him. He stared off into space.

She stepped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her; Rita went to her daughter's room. She silently opened the door to see Jackie, in her bed, on her phone. She didn't notice her mother in the doorway causing her to jump when her mother called her name.

She tossed the phone to her side, "How did it go?"

Rita shook her head, "Not well. He's not exactly excited with the fact that he died, came back to life, and is 37 years into the future."

Jackie sighed. "What we gonna do then?" The older woman walks to her daughter on the bed and sits with her. "I don't know sweetie, " The pair continued to talk for a while until Jackie started to yawn. She placed a kiss on the younger one's forehead. "Go to bed, we'll talk in the morning."

Rita stood up from the bed and walked towards the door, "Mom, wait," Rita turned her head around. "How do you feel about all of this?" Jackie questions.

Her mother chuckles, "I really don't know at the moment. Ask me again tomorrow and I might be able to answer your question." She exited the room. Jackie rolled her eyes and smiled. At least her mother was somewhat okay.

She went to her room again to check on John, when she heard muffled sobs. Opening the door to see him back on the bed, crying into a pillow; his glasses discarded on the floor. She instantly hurried towards him. "John?" He lifted his head from the pillow to look at her. He quickly got up and wiped his tears with an embarrassed look on his face.

"John, it's fine." She gave him a kind smile. "Here, let's get you undressed. I wouldn't think those clothes would best to sleep in." He nods and takes out his leather jacket leaving him in a blue sweater. "You have anything under that? I have pretty good heating and I don't want you to burn up."

"Yeah, I have a shirt underneath." He took off the sweater, exposing his red t-shirt and putting it on his side. She took the clothes and put them on her dresser.

She picks up his glasses and puts them on the bed, sitting next to him on the bed. "Alright, how do you feel? Your headache, I mean."

"It's better than before, the crying didn't really help."

Rita smirked, "I wouldn't think it would." She put her hand on top of his. "It's good to cry, gotta get it out somehow right." John smiled.

"Yeah, somehow." John grabs his glasses, putting them on. He glanced at Rita. "How did I get here?"

The woman sighed, "Well, I went to go visit your memorial in Central Park for the anniversary of... you know, and you appeared, out of nowhere, on a bench that I was sitting on so I brought you home." John looked at her as if she has three heads.

"I know, it sounds stupid. You could have been completely somewhere else but, I just knew it was you." She glances at the clock on the wall. It was a couple of minutes away from 12 am.

"Hey, John. Why don't we talk about this more tomorrow morning, huh?" She stood up. "Wait, can you stay with me? I really don't want to be alone right now." He asked nervously. Rita is taken aback by the question although, it means that he's safe with her.

"Sure, just can you turn around. I need to change." She smiled awkwardly. John quickly compiled and turned his head. She changed, taking her phone from her pocket, putting it on the bedside table. She told John that she was done and climbed in next to him.

John laid back on the (tear-soaked) pillow and turned to him, "Thank you, Rita. Thank you so much."

"No, thank you. I can now I can say that I slept with John Lennon!" She joked. John is caught off guard by the joke and broke out into giggles. She smiled at him fondly while he died of laughter. Rita was glad she was able to make him laugh though this time (with a crappy joke, by the way).

It took John at least a minute to stop laughing, his laughter causing Rita to laugh along excessively.

"Oh, God. This whole thing is insane isn't it?" John chuckled. "It 100% is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank, a few episodes of that 70s show, paul's album 'ram', and wings' first album for this chapter.  
> i hope you enjoyed this chapter and feedback is welcome!  
> stay safe out there❤  
> love, your favorite paul and john slut  
> xoxo
> 
> p.s. this is also on wattpad!


	3. Man, Paul Looks Like a Woman

The sun shines into the bedroom causing Rita to slowly wake up. She immediately reached out to wake John but felt nothing.

Rita sat up, panicked until she hears a voice coming from the ground. "I'm here." She looked down to see John in his shirt and boxers inspecting her phone. "The vibrating of this... uh, device woke me up." Rita opened her mouth but was interrupted. "Wait, this is not what I think it is?" He looks up at her and smirks. "John!" She slides off the bed and sits next to him.

"What! Everyone has needs." Rita gives him a look, "It's not that kind of toy."

"If it not that then, what is it?" She grabbed the phone away from him. "It's a phone." She pressed the home button on the phone to show him. John moved away from the device, "I've seen a phone," He pointed at the phone. "That is not a phone."

"It's a smartphone. Technology has really advanced since you've been gone."

"So, you just call people with it? I'm guessing it's portable?" Rita nodded. "Well, you use it to make calls, but it's also an encyclopedia, clock, it has a calendar, you can take pictures and record things. You can do so much on this small device."

He looked confused. "How can all of those things fit in there?" "Um, those things got smaller too and they were able to create my smartphone by coding and all that crap." John looked like he understood a little.

"Yeah, it's really complicated. I kinda don't even know how all of it works but I learned." She checked the phone. "Oh, my mom called, gotta call her back later." She sighed. "Maybe, I can get my daughter Jackie to teach you how to use this and also more things as well."

John nodded. "I suggest you take a shower since we have a lot to talk about." She helped John up. He looked at her realizing that she was a bit taller than him. "You're tall." He thought out loud, automatically causing him to cringe. "Thank you, you are too," She patted his shoulder awkwardly and gave him a kind smile. "I'll show you where the shower is, and bring a towel and some clothes for you."

John stood in the living room waiting for Rita to finish up in the bathroom. He walked around in the big shirt and sweatpants she gave him to wear. He stared at the TV in front of him, fascinated by how flat it became. John moved from the television to look at some of the pictures on the wall. There were mostly pictures of Rita and a younger Jackie with the occasional one of them and other family members. He looked at the TV stand and saw a picture in a tiny frame with a younger Rita, she couldn't have been older than twenty, cuddling with a man; who looked to be the same age, they were both dressed in a plaid button-up. "Is that her husband?" He thought.

He was distracted by his thoughts when Jackie entered the living room. "Hi, Mr. Lennon." He jerked his head towards her, frightening Jackie. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." John quickly put the picture back where it was.

"It's fine," She smiled uncomfortably. Jackie still wasn't comfortable with the fact that John Lennon, a Beatle, had risen from the dead and is now in her home. "My mom wanted me to keep you company, while you wait." Jackie walks toward John.

"That my mom and dad by the way, " She picks the picture. "It was them in 1995." Jackie stared at the picture with sadness in her eyes.

"Are they still together?" Jackie put the picture back and looked at him. She shook her head. "No, he died a few years back. Cancer."

"Oh, I'm sorry." He gave her an apologetic look. "It's fine. You didn't know."

"Um, anyway, " She laughed apprehensively. They stood in awkward silence.

John was relieved when Rita walked into the room, "Please John sit. Make yourself at home." She points at the couch eagerly. John obeys her. Rita turns to her daughter, "Can you make breakfast this morning, while I'm talking to John?" Jackie nodded and went into the kitchen.

"So, " She sat next to him, "Where do you want to start?" John thought, he wasn't sure where to start, he had a lot of swirling around his head. "Um, family and friends things for now."

"Okay," Rita sighed, "Your family is well... and um..." She scratched her head, she wasn't sure how to start with that either. "Okay, why do you ask the questions and I'll answer them." John nodded. Rita's phone started ringing. "Sorry." She says while taking her phone out of her pocket, answering the phone.

"Hey mom, sorry, I was going to call...okay...sure...where... okay bye." She said with a worried look. "I have to go, John. My father is in the hospital, he fell from a latter." Rita stood up quickly, grabbed her keys, and ran into the kitchen. She returned to the living room, "Jackie will tell you everything you want to know, okay?" John nodded, a bit surprised at everything that was going on. "I will be back soon." She hurried out the door.

Jackie walked, with a worried look, out the kitchen to the living room, "Here, Mr. Lennon." She put the food on the table. "I made French Toast." 

"Are you okay, love?" John saw the look on her face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just worried a little y'know. But he should be fine, once, he fell from a tree and didn't even get a scratch."

"Oh okay, thank you for the food." He gave her a soft smile. She returns it and sits next to him while he eats.

"You could ask me questions if you want, Mr. Lennon."

"What happened to Mimi, my aunt?" "She passed away in 1991." John sighed, "From what?" 

"Old age, I'm pretty sure." "Do you have pictures of my children now? What about Paul and Ringo?"

"Yeah, let me get my phone." John continued to eat while he waited.

She came back and quickly searched for a photo of them. "Here's Sean." John glanced at the phone and automatically teared up. "Is that really him? He looks just like me." Jackie nodded, "Yeah, " She scrolls down to Julian. "And this is-"

"Julian, " He sobbed, "Oh God, how old is he now? Last time I saw him, he was seventeen."

"He's fifty-four." "No..." John gasped in shock. "And Sean?"

"Um, forty-two." He stared in disbelief. "He's older than me now." Jackie stared at John. He was crying. Although the saw him cry last night, she was still taken aback by it. The John Lennon was now crying in front of her. The most 'macho' out of the four Beatles was crying in front of her. John noticed her staring and attempted to wipe his eyes although failing to since he couldn't stop.

"I'm sorry." He looked away. Jackie put her hand on his back to try and comfort him. "No, Mr. Lennon, it's fine. Perfectly reasonable to cry."

John sniffled, "Do you have some of Yoko? The other Beatles." He coaked.

Jackie nodded and searched up a picture of Yoko. "Here." She shows him the phone. His eyes teared up again but he stopped himself and cleared his throat. "Okay, Paul?"

She showed him a picture of Paul. John threw his head back in laughter, "He looks so ancient... wrinkly too. A tad like a woman." Jackie broke out in laugher.

"Hey, just because it's true doesn't mean you have to say it." She giggled. John laughed again, "S-show me, Ringo, I wanna see how terrible he looks."

"Hate to break it to you but he looks great for his age." She showed him a photo of him. "He's barely aged!" John exclaim. He seemed so happy that you wouldn't have guessed he was crying a minute ago. "Wait, show me one of Geor-." He stopped and realized his mistake. "I could show you a photo of him before he... you know." She hesitated. "Yes, that would be fine."

Jackie showed him a couple of photos of him in the 80s and 90s. "Oh, and here are the three of them together during the anthology in the 90s."

"Look at those old fucks-" John looked at Jackie apologetically, "Sorry, love. Probably shouldn't say that."

"It's fine, " She smiled at him. "I could show and teach you more if you want me too? About what you missed? I know way too much information about the 80s and 90s," She whispered to herself, "Its kind of sad to be honest."

John grinned. "Yeah, sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys, sorry this chapter was really shitty. i had a lot of writer's block while writing this chapter but, i still hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> love,   
> your favorite john/paul slut  
> stay safe lovies 🥰❤🥰😍❤


	4. Phones, Names, and Photographs

_One week later_

John had gotten more used to modern life. Well, okay that's a lie. He was struggling terribly.

Rita poked her head into Jackie's room. For the past week, she's teaching him about history, music, pop culture events, and the internet. Jackie was teaching John how to use a phone, she looked irritated and stressed. John did warn them that he was never good with technology although Jackie didn't think he would that bad. She decided to interrupt them before John and Jackie started growing gray hairs. "John?"

"Yes?" John sighed in relief and moved his eyes from the phone to her. Jackie sent him a glare. "Hey, I was wondering if you'll accompany me to my jobs Christmas party, in a few days? I was thinking that you might want to go outside and see people?"

John's eyes widened, "Oh okay, sure." He was taken aback; he felt a bit scared and Rita was able to tell. "You don't have if you're not ready yet, John."

"No, I'll come. It just seems scary, now. So much has changed, the people have too." Rita chuckles, "No, the people have barely changed."

"Actually, we're a bit dumber," Jackie added.

"True, though."

"Let me see, John!" It was the day of the party and Rita was waiting for John to wear the Christmas sweater she had gotten him for the party. She already dressed in her outfit which was an overly decorated Christmas sweater.

John stepped out of the room with the ugly fuzzy, green sweater vest with decorations on it. "This vest is very ugly, you realize that, right?"

"Yes, it's an ugly sweater party." She walked over and fixed his white collar. John looked at her eyes. "You have pretty eyes, you know." She moved to his hair, "How could they be pretty, they're the color of shit."

"You shouldn't say that. " He paused. "they're beautiful. They shine a little when the sun hits it, it's like a diamond." He caressed her cheek. She quickly moved away from his touch. "Thank you, John." She blushed and glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Well we should go now, the party just started."

"Oh yeah, we should huh." He rubbed the back of his neck and muttered. Rita turned around and walked away.

She watched John the entire drive through her peripheral vision. He was staring out the window the entire time while listening to Christmas songs on the radio, "Rita?" He lifted his head from the window. "Yes?" "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I didn't mean to." She glanced at John. "It's okay." They continued to drive in silence with the radio playing until they got to the bar where the party was held.

She stopped him before he got out of the car, "Wait, what's your name gonna be?"

John started off in thought. "Winston?" "Yeah, but we need a last name." She thought, "What about Dakota? Winston Dakota."

"That's good. We'll use that."

They walked into the loud and busy bar that was adorned in Christmas decorations on the wall and hanging from the ceiling. Rita greeted some of her colleagues while John attempted (and failed) to hide behind Rita.

"Hey, Rita!" Her good friend/colleague, Michael, from the bar, yelled causing her to cringe a little. She could tell he had been liquoring up even though it was five o'clock. He was a younger guy, way younger than Rita (24) was but he was a good friend of hers for four years now.

"Hi, Michael. How are you?" She hugged him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I'm a little tipsy but I'm great!" He noticed John hiding behind her. "Who's your friend?" He waved at John, "Hi, friend!" Michael gave him a kind smile.

John instantly warmed up to Michael. "Hi, I'm Winston." John held his hand out to shake. "Wow, I like your accent! Are you, British? I've never met a redcoat before!" John laughed, "Yes, I am."

"Cool, are you staying here or are you going back to jolly old' England?" John glanced at Rita. "No, I'll be staying here."

"Great, let me buy you a drink! Pick your poison." He turned to the bar. "No, it's fine. You don't have to get me anything."

"I insist! Any friend of Rita's is a friend of mine! Especially a handsome one." He winked at John. "Uh, " John was taken aback by the comment, "thank you. I'll have a scotch and coke." Rita chuckled under her breath causing John to glare at her.

"Coming right up, hun!" He turned to the bar. John blushed. Rita whispered in John's ear, "He's very flirty when drunk. Well, he's very flirty in general. With everyone."

"I thought I was special." He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. Michael turned from the bar and eyed at John. "You know, you look familiar. Like really familiar..." He looked around and called another coworker, "Dave! Come here!" Dave walked over to the bar. Rita subtlety rolled her eyes, she had never liked Dave. He was always gossiping around the office and barely doing work, the only reason he hadn't been fired yet was that he was the boss' grandson although weirdly enough Mike got along well with him. John noticed the shift in her mood and put his hand around her waist, pulling her close to him. "You okay?" She nodded. "Oh, hi Rita, how are you?" "I'm good! You?" She said in a dry tone. He noticed her tone but decided to ignore it. "Great! Michael, what did you need?"

"Look, " He pointed at John. "doesn't Winston look like someone?" Michael stared at John. "Yeah, he looks familiar." Dave scratched his beard and stared at him even harder, making John uneasy. Rita noticed this and interrupted them. "Hey, guys..."

Michael noticed the look on his face, "Oh, I made you uncomfortable. I didn't mean to. It's just that you look like someone I know. I'm sorry, love." He slurred. "It's fine," John muttered.

The four stayed in awkward silence until Dave gasped loudly causing John and Rita to jump, "You look like John Lennon! From the Beatles!" Michael covered his mouth. "Oh my God, you're right! He looks exactly like him, a bit older but exactly like him." The bartender tapped on Michael's shoulder handing him John's drink.

"Man, speaking of John Lennon, I hate that stupid song, Imagine," Dave said while Michael handed John his drink. Michael gasped, "How? That song is amazing." "The song just shows how much of a pretentious asshole he was. 'Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can' wasn't he a millionaire?" Rita glanced at John; he didn't seem bothered with the comment. "Well, the song is called Imagine, for a reason, Dave." Michael rolled his eyes and playfully punched his shoulder. 

"Well, still he sucks, The Beatles suck in general." "Come on man, the Beatles are like, the best of all time," Mike argued. "They aren't that good. All their solo careers suck." John sipped his drink and smirked, "I don't know, I think that Paul guy is good." They watched Dave's face heat up.

"Paul McCartney is overrated. He just sucks. He doesn't deserve his fame or anything else!"

Rita grabbed John's drink and took a sip, "Isn't he apart of the top ten most successful artist of all time?" She raised her brow. "But " Dave stammered, "you know what I have to go." He stormed off. "I'll be back." Mike went to follow Dave.

"Thank God!" She turned to John. "How did you know that would get him to leave?"

John shrugged, "I don't know." John snatched his drink from Rita. "Hey!" She said in protest. John stuck his tongue out, "Get your own." Rita grumbled and ordered a drink.

When Michael came back the three of them continued to laugh and joke around while ordering drinks. (Although Rita stopped after her first one since she was driving.)

"Joh- Winston?" He hummed in response. "I'm going to the bathroom." She walked into the bathroom, accidentally bumping into a coworker. "Oh, I'm sorry." She realized she had bumped into Meg, the offices' receptionist.

"Sorry, didn't m-." "Oh, Hi, Rita!" "Hey, Megan." Megan was tiny compared to Rita. She was a very sweet girl but very nosey, so Rita kept her distance from her.

"How are you? Do you like the party?"

"Yeah, it's fun, " She smirked. "So, what's going on with you and the Lennon lookalike?"

Rita tilted her head, "What?" "You two are together right? I saw his hands around your waist." "No, just good friends."

"Why aren't you with him, he's cute."

"Well, it's just because he-" Megan interrupted her, "Is it because he's white?" Rita's jaw dropped. "No, what does that have to do with me liking him or not?" She scowled.

"Nothing!" "It's just, " Megan sighed, "you know, you need to move on. James died years ago; he wouldn't want you to be like this."

"What did you fucking say?" "Wait, I didn't mean to overstep I just want to-"

"Shut up, Megan. What going on with me, Winston, or my dead husband is none of your damn business. So, if you would excuse me, I'll be leaving now."

Rita walked past Megan out of the bathroom. All I Want for Christmas is You was playing from the speakers. She saw John laughing with Mike by the bar, with another Scotch and Coke in hand. "Can you believe John has never heard this song before?" Mike yelled over the music. "Oh really?" She pretended to be interested. She turned to John, "Winston, let's go."

"Go? It's only seven o'clock!" "Yeah!" Mike added. "Joh- Winston, I'm serious we need to go." John noticed the tone in her voice. "Perhaps we should."

"Aww, " Mike whined. "Well, see you later." He turned to pick up his drink from the bar, but Rita stopped him. "Oh no, " Rita grasped his wrist. "You're coming with us. I'm dropping you home to Steven." Steven was Mike's roommate and crush (although he would never admit it). "I don't want to go home." He moaned. She pulled him away from the bar and walked towards the door; John following quickly behind him. "Too bad."

They were able to get Mike home safely to Steven (with much protest from Mike).

Rita and John drove in silence. John could see that she was fuming and decided to let her cool down.

Once they got into the apartment, John picked up the courage to ask her, "Rita, what happened back there?"

"Nothing." She muttered as she took off her coat and put it on the rank. John followed suit, "Something happened. If something didn't happen you wouldn't be like-."

"Just drop it, John. It's none of your business." She walked into the bedroom and closed it, causing Jackie to swing open her door, scaring John.

"You should let her cool off first before following her. She has always been like that." He frowned. He couldn't understand what caused her mood to switch like that, he knew something might have happened in the bathroom. He first thought it was lady issues but realized Rita had already dealt with that the week before. He slightly winced recollecting how he found out. Now, he knocks three times before going into the bathroom.

He snapped out his thoughts realizing was being called by Jackie. "John, did you hear me? I said I am going next door to my friend's flat." "Oh okay." Jackie playfully punched him in the arm and jogged towards the door, phone in hand. John rubbed his arm. "I'll be back." She said in some accent that John couldn't decipher. "At, nine. I think? Maybe ten." She opened the door and left leaving John with a confused look on his face. "She's really...something." He chuckled and shook his head.

John listened to Jackie's advice and waited a while before he knocked on her door. He heard a muffled 'come in' and opened the door. He saw her in bed reading a book. The book was usually bedside table, and it was the first time that John saw her pick it up. The cover has a person holding an apple with their two hands. "Are you okay, love?" He sat next to her.

"Yeah, just reading this stupid book." Although she said she was okay John was able to tell that she wasn't.

"What's it about?"

"A pale seventeen-year-old girl falling in love with an even paler 108-year-old vampire although he's like frozen in his seventeen-year-old body." John tilted his head. Rita shrugged.

"Why are you reading it if it's stupid?" He smiled. She closed the book and chuckled bitterly, "Because someone gifted me this as a joke."

They sat in silence until John spoke up. "What happened back there, huh?" John gave her a concerned look. Rita recited what had happened in the bathroom with John listening intently. "Do you think I overreacted? 'Cause I feel I did; she was just being nice-" John interrupted, "No, your reaction was understandable. She crossed the line." Rita frowned, " But she right, it's been ten years, should get over it, it's pathic really." John sighed, "Love, my mother died when I was seventeen and I'm still not fully over it. Just take your time." She nodded hesitantly. John put his hand on her shoulder, "You can talk about him, you should. That was Paul attempted to make me do when she passed."

Rita got up and dug around her closet until she found a small silver box. John watched her curiously. She returned to the bed and hesitantly took the cover off. The box had a photo album, decorated in old faded stickers, and a necklace that had a J on it. She took out a necklace and showed it to John. "This is for Jackie, it was his," She smiled fondly. "When she was a baby, she used to play with it, anytime he carried her. He wanted to give it to her when she turns fifteen." She sighed, "I guess I have to do it now." Rita glanced at John and he nodded in understanding. She put the jewelry back in the box and took out the photo album.

"James made this for me before he died, " She took out the album from the box and stroked the stickers on cover. "Jackie, when she was little, decorated the cover with her Disney stickers," Rita said with a sad smile.

She opened the book which had a picture of James and Rita when they were teens. "We started dating when we were fifteen in 1990. We got married in '96. Although my parents were against me getting married that young." She rolled her eyes, "Even though they got married at nineteen." Rita flipped through and explained each picture with John listening and adding comments during each one. They got to a picture where James was playing drums with his long blond shaggy hair while Rita was singing and playing electric guitar. "This was in 1992 when we were trying to be like Nirvana." John tilted his head. "You were in a band and also what is Nirvana?"

Rita gave him a look of disbelief, "What the hell is my daughter teaching you?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i know it was a longer chapter but you guys deserve it!  
> i really hope you liked it!
> 
> the part taking about john being bad at technology is actually true! in geoff emerick's book "here, there, and everywhere: my life recording with the beatles", he says that john was fascinated with technology but the worst with technology
> 
> i'm starting school on tuesday (sadly) but i'll try to get a chapter out when i can
> 
> i really have great things for you guys coming up in this story! (special guest(s)?)
> 
> i love you guys, thanks for reading. it really means a lot to me🥺❤❤

**Author's Note:**

> hi! pls comment if you like or have any advice for me. i would really appreciate it!


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